Courting change

Tuesday

Jun 16, 2009 at 12:01 AMSep 10, 2014 at 11:58 AM

COLONIAL HEIGHTS - Time is almost up for the reuse committee to submit its plans for the former Colonial Heights Baptist Church property. In July, the committee has to submit a finished set of ideas to City Council.At a presentation about the project at

COLONIAL HEIGHTS - Time is almost up for the reuse committee to submit its plans for the former Colonial Heights Baptist Church property. In July, the committee has to submit a finished set of ideas to City Council.

At a presentation about the project at the courthouse last night, citizens could, for the first time, see the fruits of the committee's labor.

What has started as a mission to save the church from certain demolition has grown into something much bigger. In the past 10 months, Chairman Kirk Thibault and his committee members have worked tirelessly with a team of architects and developers to come up with a plan, which - if accepted by council - would drastically change the face of the city's southern corridor.

"Our proposal is bold, daring, innovative and visionary," said committee member Mary Ann Hamilton. "It will be important for future generations."

According to the plan, the church buildings on Chesterfield Avenue would be transformed into a new courthouse complex, surrounded by strips of parks and green, restaurants and small businesses. The existing courthouse on Temple Avenue would be torn down. The site would be sold for commercial redevelopment, and the committee members envision a number of larger restaurants and possibly a hotel.

Over a period of 20 years, the sale of the current courthouse site and tax revenue from the new businesses would pay for the new courthouse.

"We would be able to create an anchor for the city, just six to eight blocks away from Old Towne Petersburg," said Terry Ammons, a Petersburg-based architect who works with the reuse committee.

The plan would solve two of the city's biggest problems with one strike - it would stop the demolition of the church, and it could solve the pending legal dispute between city and Circuit Court judges, who have demanded additions to the building on Temple Avenue.

In June 2008, council decided in a meeting behind closed doors to demolish the now vacant church that the city had purchased in 2005 for $3.75 million. Various council members and city officials expressed the desire to use the empty church lot for commercial development. Although no concrete plans were on the table, many openly supported the idea of a grocery store - a plan that residents in vicinity of the church property strongly opposed. The city gave in under public pressure and formed two citizens committees - one working on a solution for reuse of the church building and one for commercial development. Both committees must present their solutions at next month's council meeting.

More than 70 citizens came to hear last night's presentation.

"This is about saving our neighborhood," Thibault said. He added that when his committee started working, they found that the city had no plan for the development of the property after the church's demolition and that no developer had shown interest in the site.

"We made it our mission to save the character of the area, and our solution is financially feasible," he said.

Ammons demonstrated why he believes that the church site would be ideal for a new courthouse. After adding the space that the judges have asked for, the existing courthouse would have 50,720 square feet. The church property would offer 54,679 square feet.

"This would be almost 5,000 square feet over what the judges want," Ammons said. "This fits the program and it will cost less."

Ammons' plan puts the Sheriff's Department on the first floor of the new 1992 sanctuary. Circuit court and district court rooms would go on the second floor. The historic sanctuary would be home of the commonwealth attorney's office. The plan also includes a secure driveway and a parking garage for judges. Visitors would enter the building from the rear, where the parking lot would be located.

Ammons estimates that it would cost roughly $15 million to renovate the existing courthouse on Temple Avenue. To transform the church into a new courthouse would come with a price tag of $12.4 million.

"We could possibly be eligible for a historic tax credit, which would bring down the cost by another $1,2 million," he said.

Ammons has no doubt that the job can be done.

"The building is in great shape, every bit is usable," he said.

Site engineer Chris Thompson developed various plans for redevelopment of the Temple Avenue lot. The plans include three 5,000-square-foot restaurants and a 150 room extended-stay hotel.

"There is a high demand for such businesses, especially because of the Fort Lee expansion," he said.

The majority of those who attended last night's meeting supported the reuse committee's proposal. It was, after all, about saving a piece of history and preserving the character of the neighborhood.

"Colonial Heights has not appreciated its history, and many landmarks have been destroyed," said Hamilton. "This historic area is the root from which 20th-century history of our city began, and it has not been recognized and preserved. We shall take the blame. But this time, we have the chance to get it right. Losing this structure is losing one more thread of the historic fabric of our city."

Hamilton praised the committee's work and the interest it received from citizen.

"This is truly democracy in action," she said.

" Markus Schmidt may be reached at 722-5172 or mschmidt@progress-index.com.

Submit Content

Market Place

Social Media

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.
The Progress-Index ~ 15 Franklin Street, Petersburg, VA 23803 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service